DENVER — When he first arrived in Utah from the then NBA-champion Detroit Pistons, Mehmet Okur epitomized all that can drive Jerry Sloan cuckoo at the start of a training camp.

He was out of shape, not nearly physically prepared for the demands of a taskmaster who fully expects all of his players to report in tip-top condition — and certainly not use camp to get there.

Flash forward four years, to 2008.

Now, Okur is Sloan's poster child for the cause that is offseason training.

He's in super shape, body fat down about two percent from a year ago. He runs the floor like an athletic swingman, not the 6-foot-11 starting center he is. And he feels, well, terrific.

No aches.

No pains.

No extra chins.

And none of what ailed him in seasons past, including the bad back that bothered him last preseason more than most will ever know.

While no fewer than half of his current teammates battle one minor medical malady or another, Okur is the personification of picture-perfect health.

And he hopes to stay that way.

"It just feels great," he said Tuesday before the Jazz left for Denver and a three-games-in-four-nights pre-season trip that opens tonight vs. the Nuggets and concludes with a pair against the Chicago Bulls in Illinois on Friday and Saturday nights.

"Hopefully I will be the same way during the season," he added. "I want to play all 82 games, plus playoffs. I want to stay healthy and play hard at the same time."

Key for Okur was summer commitment to body maintenance.

He did not play for the Turkish National Team, which in the past has caused costly wear-and-tear. He spent a lot of time running and increasing his cardio capacity. And he returned to Utah from his native Turkey a full month before the start of camp, something he hadn't done in seasons past — and something not all teammates do.

"So I had time to get 100 percent," he said.

Sloan couldn't be happier he is.

"He spent time working at it," the Jazz coach said. "He was at our practice facility every day. He had his guy (personal trainer) with him, and they worked out twice a day.

"That's what you hope everybody does: get in great shape, so they can run up and down the floor."

Commitment, indeed.

And someone sure did notice.

"He's pretty much tried to do a little bit more every year," a satisfied Sloan said.

Partly because of the great shape he's in, and partly because of the fact the Jazz know just what the 2007 NBA All-Star has to offer, Okur is expected to be an increasingly integral part of Utah's offense in his seventh NBA season.

"He's a great shooter, and we need to get him shots. Because he can make shots," Sloan said. "And it's anyplace on the floor he can shoot it. It's been an advantage for us."

The potential payoff is gratifying to Okur, who really did go above and beyond in the offseason.

"I really put my mind into it, and my body," he said. "Everything."

And now, Okur added, "I'm good to go."

Jazz on the air

Jazz at Nuggets

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TV: KJZZ; Radio: 1320

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com